Square tubes are typically manufactured by first creating round tubing, often through Electric Resistance Welding (ERW), and then shaping this round tube into a square using a series of rollers.
Based on the manufacturing process described, here's a breakdown of how square tubes are produced:
The Manufacturing Process of Square Tubes
The common method for creating square tubing involves starting with a round tube and then reshaping it.
1. Forming the Initial Round Tube
The first step involves forming a round tube from a flat strip of metal (often steel).
- The flat metal strip is fed through rollers that progressively curl its edges.
- Where the edges of that tube meet, they are welded together using Electric Resistance Welding, hence the name ERW tubing. This process uses electrical current to heat the edges and forge them together, creating a strong seam.
2. Shaping the Round Tube into a Square
Once the round tube is formed and the weld is complete, it is then transformed into a square shape.
- This round tubing is then formed into a square shape by passing through a series of rollers.
- These rollers are specifically designed to gradually press the round tube into the desired square or rectangular profile. The shape change happens incrementally over several sets of rollers to avoid stressing the metal excessively.
This method, starting with ERW round tubing and then cold-forming it into a square shape using rollers, is a widely used technique for producing structural and mechanical square tubing.
